Plate warming table pad



Dec. 6, 1938.

, Figi.

L. K. FRoLlcH 2,139,153

PLATE WARMING TABLE PAD Filed Feb. 19, 1937 Hl il L.K.Frolich WwW-Snowattorney Patented Dec. 6, 1938 PATENT OFFICE PLATE wARMnvG TABLE PAD LllK. Frolich,

Louisville, Nebr.

Application February 19, 1937, Serial No. 126.590

3 Claims.

This invention relates to dining table equipment and moreparticularly topads therefor.

It is an object of the invention to provide means combined with andembedded in a dining table 5 pad whereby plates and dishes may be warmedfor maintaining edibles in a delectable condition.

A further object of the invention is to provide a table pad for theabove stated purposes which is adapted to be folded compactly forstorage when not in use, said pad being intended to completely cover anordinary dining table such as used in dwelling houses and also toprovide an extensible pad for covering extensible dining tables.Afurther object of the invention is to provide like pads whereby anylength of table may be equipped for the said purposes. l

As heretofore practiced in the art, particularly in hotels, diningtables are set up of different 0 lengths and at times said tables arecomparatively long as during conventions and the like, the diners oftenbeing late in assembly whereby the ilrst course of a dinner orparticularly soups become chilled between the time the soup dishesdiners. v

Similarly in homes the consumption of victuals is delayed after thelatter are placed on a table due to diverse social causes and thepresent invention contemplates provision of means whereby the service ofdinners is facilitated without damage to the palatability of the foodserved in instances where consumption is delayed.

With such objects in view and others which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention comprises Various novel features ofconstruction and combination ofv parts which are set forth withpartcularity in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewof an embodiment of the new device applied inA a position of use to afragment of a dining table top, the view being taken substantially online I-I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse section of a pad portion and. heating elementemployed.

Referring now to the drawingfor a more particular description, I Ilindicates a table which may be of conventional or extensible type or ofthat type used in hotels, the latter usually consisting of loose topsand horses whichvmay be aligned for providing elongated tables for alarge 56 number of diners.

a dining table pad to which may be added other are placed on the tableand the arrival of thev 'I'he new pad consists of any suitable padmaterial II disposed between any suitable covering I2 providing a padsection, several of which may be joined together, as shown in Figure 1,the covering material I2 functioning as hinge strips. Any desired numberof heating elements or heaters I3 are provided in each pad.

The pads are provided with oppositely disposed male and femaleelectrical socket` members on opposite sides of their body portions, themale socket members I4 being adapted to be received in and interiit withthe female socket members I5. In instances where pluralities of padsections are `employed which are joined together but two socket membersare employed for each series of joined pads and in all instances the padsections are provided with electrical vwires I6 which mayextend throughthem or between the materials II and I2 or along the sides of the latterand in communication with the heaters I3 and socket members Il and I5,whereby a circuit may be closed through the wires and heaters forpurposes later described.

An end pad section socket member is adapted to be connected to anelectrical plug I1 and wires I8 and I 9 which may be placed inelectrical communication with a source of electrical energy deliveredthrough the supply wires 20.

The device preferablyv also includes a rheostat 2| which may be manuallyactuated for varying the amount of electrical energy delivered to theheaters for purposes later described.

In operation the table being set up and joined pad section being placedthereon a table cloth 221s placed over the pads in a conventionalmanner'and the soup dishes 23 placed on the table cloth inverticalalignment with the elements I3 whereby said dishes may be keptwarm together with the contents thereof and the degree of heat may 2bleselectively applied by means of the device Additional like joined padsections may be added or an additional single pad section may 'beelectrically connected in accordance with the length of the table to beserviced.

At any time during dining when it is not desired to warm the plates thesupplyof electrical energy may be completely cut o fi by means of thedevice 2l or the wires I8 and I9 may be uncoupled from the pads.

I do not wish to be restricted to the size, form and proportions of thevarious parts, and obviously changes could be made in the constructionherein described without departing from the spirit of the invention, itbeing only necessary that such changes fall within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:-

1. In a dining table cover pad, a plurality of pad-sections, at leastone electrical heater embedded in each section, said sections adapted tolie in substantially the same horizontal plane on an elongated tabletop, oppositely disposed male and female electrical socket members onopposite free sides of each pad-section and disposed intermediate thetop and bottom face thereof, electrical wires in communication with saidheaters and said socket members, said members adapted to lie insubstantially the same plane on an elongated table top and arranged tobe connected at opposite sides of the pad with corresponding interttingsocket members in a contiguous like pad, each pad-section including aplurality of members formed of pad material and a covering enclosing thepad material and providing hinge strips, whereby the pad members arejoined in such a manner as to permit folding of one pad member uponanother pad member when the cover pad is not in use.

2. In a dining table cover pad, a plurality of pad-sections, at leastone electrical heater embedded in each section, said sections adapted tolie in substantially the same horizontal plane on an elongated tabletop, means lying within' the contines ot the top and bottom face of eachpad-section for joining the sections together, electrical wires incommunication with said heaters and said means, each pad-sectionincluding a plurality of members formed of pad material and a coveringenclosing the pad material and providing hinge strips, whereby the padmembers are joined in such a manner as to permit folding ot one padmember upon another pad member when the cover pad is not in use.

3. In a dining table cover pad, a plurality of pad-sections joinedtogether to provide an elongated table cover, a plurality of electricalheaters embedded in the sections along opposite side portions of thesections, said heaters being arranged in opposed relation to providepairs of heaters, wires connecting the heaters of each pair, wiresconnected to said rst wires, and means for connecting said second wiresto a source of electric current, each pad-section including a pluralityof members formed oi' pad material and a covering enclosing the padmaterial and providing hinge strips, whereby the pad members are joinedin such a manner as to permit folding o! one pad member upon another padmember when the cover pad is not in use.

LILL K. FROLICH.

